Tuesday, July 26, 2011

That Wacky Dog's Tail

We﻿'re back!

And sooo thankful for more leg room after eighteen straight hours in Vantana's air conditioned belly. Our annual summer road trip now a hazy, sun-soaked memory, it has taken us several days to reacclimate to the world of chores and busy schedules. But amid the transition, one constant, faithful reminder of what it means to come home...

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Each year while we visit family, our dog Fudge (who would love to go with us, but would never tolerate the grueling trip) goes instead on her own little mini vacation to visit her litter-sister Girlie. Our friends, a.k.a. Girlie's people, having recently moved to a three hundred acre monastic retreat center, welcomed her as they always have despite their increased responsibilities of managing and caretaking.

Whether it was the unbearable heat this year or the stress of finding her second family in unfamiliar surroundings, Fudge divided her vacation time between wading in the river, sniffing out and applying (doggy- style) aromatic fragrances, and shedding copious amounts of fur. We're talking fistfuls at a time here, enough to stuff a duvet with - though of course no one with any (human) sense of smell would ever be able to sleep under it!

We had to rid ourselves of an unwelcome house guest before we fetched her back...

...but she was overjoyed to finally come home a day or two after we returned. We, on the other hand, couldn't wait to give her a bath! The excess fur we brushed, and brushed, and brushed off of her first now acts as an aromatic wild critter deterrent around the garden.